Atalanta and Arsenal Share Points in Goalless Champions League Draw

Italian side Atalanta and their English hosts Arsenal were held to a goalless draw in the first round of the Champions League on Thursday. Both teams’ efforts throughout the 90 minutes were unsuccessful in breaking the scoreless tie, so each team received a point at the start of their journey in the competition.

Arsenal’s Lineup and Performance

Arsenal were clearly affected by the absence of their Norwegian captain and midfield star Martin Odegaard from the match, as Spanish coach Mikel Arteta opted to rely on the midfield trio of Declan Rice, Thomas Partey, and Kai Havertz. His alternatives in attack were Bucayo Sakho, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus.

Atalanta’s Lineup and Performance

Atalanta, on the other hand, went in armed with ground staff and spectators led by their coach Gianpiero Gasperini, and the team relied on Italian national team striker Matteo Retegui to lead its attacking line. Despite the presence of many prominent names in all lines for both teams, it did not create any real chances throughout the first half and Arsenal did not threaten Atalanta goalkeeper Marko Kariniski throughout the first half.

Second Half Action

The referee awarded the stadium owners a penalty kick in the 50th minute when Ederson was fouled by Thomas Partey inside the penalty area, but David Raya blocked Matteo Retegui’s shot, who redirected the ball with a header, but the Spanish goalkeeper again cleared it. Arteta made two changes (57) as Thomas Partey and Gabriel Jesus left, replacing Jorginho and Leandro Trossard.

Substitutions and Late Chances

Substitute Juan Cuadrado, an Atalanta player, shot a ball from outside the penalty area, but it went over the crossbar of goalkeeper Raya (66). Arteta again resorted to the bench, and Jurien Temper and Bucayo brought on Ricardo Calafiore and Raheem Sterling in place of Saka, in the 74th minute. Cuadrado shot from outside the penalty area but his ball went wide of Arsenal’s left post.

Match Conclusion

A minute later, Gabriel Martinelli missed a chance to score for Arsenal, when he received a ball from Sterling inside the penalty area and shot the ball over the crossbar. The change in the ranks of the two teams did not bring about any noticeable improvement and the play was confined to the midfield of the two teams without causing much danger to the goalkeepers. The remaining minutes of the second half saw nothing new, until the referee blew the final whistle and the match was a goalless draw.

Upcoming Matches

Arsenal next face France’s Paris Saint-Germain, while Atalanta travel to Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk on October 1.